All of us would want to seek a word from God, especially when we have important decisions to make. Sometimes the word of God may come to us even when we have not been deliberately seeking for it. Be that as it may be, after receiving it, what do we do with it? Do we follow through what God has told us or do we allow doubts to surface? Also, do we become wise in our own eyes and begin to do things our way contrary to the full counsel of God’s word for the sake of achieving the desired end?

When Solomon went against God’s commandment not to go after other gods, the Lord said to him in 1 Kings 11:11~13, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless, I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However I will not tear the whole kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”

God regarded David as His servant; David had a servant-heart towards God. His desire was to please God. Truly, as Scripture tells us, he was a man after God’s own heart. Interestingly, God told Solomon that the kingdom of Israel with the exception of Judah will be given to another servant -- Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat. When the Lord had thus spoken, Solomon did not repent. Instead, 1 Kings 11:40 recorded for us that Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam. He behaved as Saul did towards David.

When Jeroboam the son of Nebat went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah met him on the way and spoke to him the word of the Lord, “… So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.” (1 Kings 11:37~38)

God gave a tremendous proclamation to Jeroboam whom 1 Kings 11:28 described as an industrious person and a man of valor. However, Jeroboam feared that the kingdom may return to the house of David if the people went up to worship in Jerusalem where Rehoboam (the son of Solomon) ruled as king of Judah. “Therefore the king took counsel and made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” ”(1 Kings 12:28) This was a sin, and God’s word of judgment came to Jeroboam through “a man of God” (1 Kings 13) and Ahijah (1 Kings 14).

To whom much is given, much is expected. One will receive five talents, another receive two talents and yet another receive one talent. Likewise, we will receive revelation from the word of God by the Holy Spirit. The important thing is what we do with it? Do we share it or hide it? God is looking for a servant like David who kept His commandments and who followed Him with all his heart, to do only what was right in His eyes. (1 Kings 14:8)

Indeed, the Lord’s call is to Take Up the Cross and Follow Him and keep His Desires and Will ever before us:

“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”